Sand-distributing apparatus for motor-vehicles



G. B. LAIVIFING AND J. A. DU LANEY. SAND DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICAUON FILED FEB.24,1920.

Patented Det. 59 192D.

UNITED STATES PATENT ori-ics.

GEORGE B. LAMPING AND aAMEs a DU LVANEY, or SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

SAND-DISTRIBUTING- APPARATQS FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Got. 5, 1920.

Application led Februaryl 24, 192%. Serial No. 360,609.

driving wheels or on the road bed in front of the driving wheels of such vehicle to prevent skidding.

Another object is to provide sand carrying and distributing devices of cheap, simple and durable construction that may be readily applied to diiierent types of motor vehicles.

further object is to provide a sand distributing device having actuating mechanism that is connected with the brake mechanisni of a motor vehicle in such a manner that sand may be scattered on the road bed each time the brakes are applied.

A still further object is to provide a sand distributing device wherein gas under pressure as the exhaust gas from the engine ot the motor vehicle may be utilized for insuring the delivery of the sand each time the valves controlling the discharge oit such sand are opened.

@ther objects will be apparent from the following' description.

in the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a view in side elevation with parts broken away of an automobile on which our sand carrying and distributing device is installed; 'Fig 2 is a detached plan view of the sand carryingvand distributing apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of the same substantially on a. broken line 3, 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4: isa dia-- gram showing the electrical wiring 'embodied in the device; Figs. 5 and 6 are frag- /inentary cross sectional views on vbroken lines 5, 5 and 6, 6 respectively of Fig. 3 and Fig. 7 is an enlarged view in cross section substantially on a broken line 7, "7 of Fig. 2. Y

Like referenceknumerals designate like parts throughout the several views.

tacle This apparatus comprises a sand .recepor hopper 8 arranged to be secured t0 the body or frame of a motor vehicle 9 at any convenient location.l The ldwer convergeht portion of the hopper 8 is provided wlth a bottom piece`l0 wherein a valve or plate 11 is slidably disposed for longitudinal movement. The rear end of the valve plate 11 1s connected with one end of a helical tension spring 12 that may be connected at its other end to a bracket 13 that is rigid' with the hopper 8, the spring 12 ordinarily holding the valve plate in the closed position shown in Fig. 3.

The bottom piece 10 is provided with a vertically arranged sand discharge opening la that connects at a point below the valve plate 11 with two transverse branch passageways 15 and 16 which connect respectively with pipes 1? and 18 that extend outwardly toward opposite sides of the motor vehicle. 'The valve plate 11 Vis provided with an opening or slot 20 that is normally in substantially the position shown in Fig. 3 but that may be moved into registration with the opening 14 to permit the sand to discharge from the hopper 8 into the passageways 15 and 16. Vhere the passageways 15 and 16 intersect each other directly below the opening 14- there is provided a wedge shaped sand dividing member 21, see Figs. 5 and 6, that directs substantially equal portions ofthe sand to each of the passageways 15 and 16.

rlhe interior of the sand hopper 8 isl previded at frequent intervals near andaround the discharge opening 14 with outwardly projecting rigid pegs or pins 22 that prevent the sand from packing or :from forming into lumps that would notv pass through the opening 111. A

rlhe sanctpassageways 15 and 16 are intersected at a short distance from their inlet ends by air or gas passageways 23 and 24 respectively, see F igt, that extend in the same general direction as the sand passageways and by means of which air or gas under pressure may be directed outwardly through the pipes 17 and 18 toward the discharge ends thereof.

lThe air or gas passageways 23 and 24: y

both connect with a pipe'25 which is. connected by means of a suitable valve 26 with? the exhaust pipe 27 of the motor vehicle on which the apparatus 4is installed.

The outer ends of the pipes 17 and 18 are connected with heads or fittings 28, see Fig. 7, that are preferably arranged to be secured to the running boards 29 of the motor vehicle in a 'suitable location to scatter Sand in front of the rear wheels thereof. The heads 28 are each provided with a rearwardly and downwardly directed nozzlei30 havingan open outer end that is provided with a hinged cap or cover 31 which is normally held in a closed position by a relatively light spring 32 but which may swing u twardly into, a position as indicated by 'roken lines in Fig. 7 to permitr sand to The caps- 31 prevent mud and discharge. l d rtfrom entering the nozzles 30 and also nay 4serve to hold a smallsupply of sand at/ the extreme tipof the nozzle ready for immediate use.y

The front end of the valve plate 11 is secured to a rod 33 that extends forwardly to, and is connected with the core 34 of an electromagnet or solenoid 35. When the electromagnet is energized the core 34will rbe drawn thereintoand the valve plate 11 moved forwardly fromJ the position shown in--iFig..3 thus moving the perforation 20 into registration with the sand discharge opening 14.

The valve 26 is provided with a h andle 36 that is adapted to be engaged by pms 37 on the rod 33 and to be moved substantially from the position shown by full lines to the position fshown by dotted lines in F ig. -3

to open the pipe 25 to-the pressure within the exhaustl pipe 27 and permit some of the exhaust gases to pass into the passageways-23 and 24 and outwardly through they distributing pipes 17 and 18 thereby. pickig up the sand and insuring its discharge' from the nozzles 30. 'Y y One terminal of the solenoid is connected directly withthe source of supply of electrical'current fory the vehiee as w1 a battery 40 by a circuit wire 41, while the other vterminal thereof is connectedby a Circuitwire42 with one terminal of a 'switch 43 that is located near the brake pedall of themotor vehicle. The other terminal of the switch 43 is connected by a circuit wire '.44 with one terminal of a switchv 45- that -is 'located on-the-steering wheel of the motor vehicle o1'L at another' point convenient of access and that is connected by a circuit l wire 46 with .the battery 40.

The switch 43 is adapted to be engaged by 'an arm 47 that is adjustably secured to the brake pedal 48 of the motor vehicle and to be closed by such arm 47 when thebrake pedal' is depressed to set the brakes.

As` a mechanical device for opening the sand discharge valve when the brakois set hard an adjustable set collar'50 is provided on the rod 33 and a lever arm 51 having a forked upper end 52 that is arranged to fit overthe rod 33 and engage the collar 50 engage the set collar 50 and open the valves.

of the sand discharging devices thereby causing sand to be discharged to prevent skidding; the rocker shaft 53 is usually found to be a part of the brake mechanism on the caron which the installationfis being made.

In ordinary operation when the streets are Wetandit is desired to use sand as a precaution each time the .brakes are set the switch 45 is closed and allowed toremain closed so that each time the foot brake pedal 48 is depressed and the switch 43 closed the circuit to the solenoid 35 will be completed and the valves controlling the dischargeof sand opened.

The switch'43 is preferably made so that lit is possible to close the same voluntarily and without the operation of the foot brake pedal thus making it possible to discharge sand when the brakes are not set.

It is a well known fact that a motor vei-` hicle vwill seldom skid except whenv the brakes 4are set. This fact' has been borne in mind in the constructionlof this device .and the actuatingmechanism therefor has been arranged so that it may be adjusted in such a manner as to 'cause the sand to be delivered simultaneously with -or slightly in advance of the setting of the brakes.-

From the above description it will be seen that. this device anticipates the skidding and prevents it by sanding the roadbed beforehand instead of seeking by the application of sand to stop a vehicle `after it has started to skid.

Itlhas also been found that good resultsmay be obtained when the sand is delivered directly onto the tire of the vehicle and allowed to carry around with such tire instead of being delivered onto the roadbed in front o f the vehicle wheel, the essential requirement being to get the roadbed at the point of contact between the two. It 4may also be found advantageous to deliver sand ontoA or in front of the front wheels of a motor vehicle to prevent skidding.

From the foregoing description taken in i l connection'- withl the accompanying drawings the advantages of the construction and of'themethod of operation of this device will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains and while we have described the principle of operation of the] invention, together with the device which We now consider to be the a valve controlling the' passage of sand from said hopper to said conduits, electrical means for opening said valve, an energized electric circuit connected with said electrical means and a switch interposed in said electric circuit and arranged to be closed by the application of the foot brake of the vehicle.

2. The combination with a motor vehicle, of a sand hopper carried thereon, a valve controlling'the discharge of sand from said hopper, conduits connected with said valve for delivering sand between the roadbed and the Wheels of said vehicle, electrical mechanism for opening said valve sumultaneously with the application of the brakes of said vehicle, means for rendering said electrical mechanism inoperative,- and mechanical devices for opening said valve in response to a maximum depression of the foot brake pedal of said vehicle.

3. The combination With a motor vehicle of a sand hopper carried thereon, a valve controlling the discharge of sand from said hopper, conduits connected With said valve for conducting sand to locations in front of the driving Wheels of said vehicle, a solenoid for opening said valve, an energized circuit connected with said solenoid, a switch interposed in said circuit and arranged to be closed by the application of the brakes of said vehicle, another switch disposed at a' convenient location in said vehicle for rendering said circuit inoperative, and mechanical means for opening said valve independently of said solenoid when the :toot brake pedal of said vehicle is moved into its maximum depressed position.

4. A sander for motor vehicles comprising a sand hopper arranged to be secured to the vehicle, a valve controlling the-discharge of sand from said sand hopper, a solenoid Jfor closing said valve, an energized circuit connected with said solenoid, a switch interposed in said circuit, and adjustable means arranged to be secured to the foot brake pedal of said vehicle for closing said switch at any desired time during the application of the brakes of said vehicle.

5. A sander for motor vehicles comprising a sand hopper arranged to be secured to the vehicle, pegs projecting from the walls of said hopper to prevent the packing of sand therein, a slide valve controlling the discharge of sand from said hopper, a spring for holding said slide valve closed position, a solenoid connected With said slide valve for opening the same, sand conduits arranged to receive sand from said hopper and convey the saine to the sides of the vehicle., discharge nozzles connected with said sand conduits, yielding Hlaps arranged to normally close said nozzles, a gas conduit connected with the .exhaust pipe of the vehicle and arranged to deliver gas under pressure into said sand conduits, a valve interposed between said gas conduit and said exhaust pipe and arranged to be opened simultaneously with said slide-valve, an energized electric circuit connected with said solenoid, a switch interposed in said circuit and arranged to be closed by depression of a foot brake pedal, and an independent switch provided on the steeringpost of the vehicle for rendering said first named switch inoperative.

Signed at Seattle, lVashington, this 16 day of February, 1920.

GEORGE B. LAMPING. JAMES A. DU LANEY. 

